Page 141 of Passed Ball

My focus drops to her lips. "Can I kiss you now?"

The breath shudders out of her. "Please."

I close the distance between us, my hand sliding to the back of her neck, pulling her closer. Her lips part as I press mine to hers, soft and warm and everything I've missed while we've been on the road.

Her fingers curl into my jersey, anchoring us together, and I pour every ounce of what I feel--relief, love, longing--into her. She tastes like popcorn and my future. Like my everything.

When we finally pull apart, her forehead rests against mine, her breaths coming fast. "That was . . ." she starts, but her words trail off as a shy smile tugs at her lips.

"Yeah," I murmur, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I missed your mouth."

"It's been three days." She chuckles against my lips.

"Too damn long. I'm kissing you everyday during the offseason. Try and stop me."

Holland stirs softly in my arms, breaking the moment.

A piece of confetti floats down, landing in Holland's hair and Vivienne brushes it away, both of us laughing.

The celebration continues around us, and after a while we hand Holland off to Tenley, her pouty lips smacking together before she yawns, shoving her fist in her mouth.

Vivienne captures my heart for the second time tonight when she brushes a kiss against her forehead, murmuring, "Sweet dreams, Estrela."

I press my lip to her cheek, adding my own, "Goodnight, Áine."

Tenley takes her, promising to get her home safely.

"You know . . . that should have been a sign from the beginning," Vivienne says.

"What should have been?" I ask, too distracted by having her alone to follow her logic.

"That we both used nicknames with similar meanings. Áine and Estrela. Estrela means star. Áine means radiance." She stares up at me. "Two names for radiance and light--for something that guides you when everything else feels dark."

I pause, the significance of her words hitting me with so much force they almost knock me over. "Maybe we were always meant to find our way to each other--to be a family."

She stops walking, her hand slipping into mine, her gaze steady as it locks on mine. "I like to think so."

"Did the boys make it?" I ask, suddenly remembering that Ezra and Elijah are supposed to be here.

Vivi looks around, pointing when she spots them at the net in a crowd of fans holding up a sign with my name and number on it. Hand in hand we cross the field to them and get pictures and hugs. They're beside themselves with excitement when some of the other guys come over.

From there, the rest of the celebration is a blur of high fives, hugs, and cameras flashing as the team pours into the locker room. Champagne sprays everywhere, soaking through my jersey as we celebrate like kids who just won their first game.

Vivienne waits with the rest of the girls in the family area, cracking open their own bottle of champagne.

Later, we head to a private party with family and friends at Draft. They've closed down the bar for us to celebrate, giving us the run of the place instead of just the VIP area where the team typically gathers post game. The energy is as electric as it was in the locker room. Laughter and cheers fill the bar, but I can't look away from Vivienne--at the way she fits here, among my people, as if she's always belonged.

By the time we step through the door of my house, it's just us. The quiet wraps around us, a stark contrast to the noise of the night, and I know this is the moment I've been waiting for.

Chapter 64

Vivienne

The silence between us as we stand in the entryway to Xavier's house is louder than any part of the celebration tonight. Every glance, every breath, feels laden with the words we've held back for far too long.

It's late, and the door to the guest bedroom is shut, a reminder that Tenley is still here. The house is still, but there's a buzz in the air that has nothing to do with the champagne I barely touched at the stadium. I want to savor the moment building between us.

Xavier leads me toward the stairs, and each step we take towards his room bolsters my courage until it's pumping through my veins, vibrating over my skin, reminding me that I've never been as certain about anything as I am about us. This man is it for me.

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